Latest Texas Headlines

Texas-based SureTec Opens Florida Office, Names Vice President

Jul 8 2008 // Houston, Texas-based underwriter, SureTec, named Jay Edenfield as vice president in charge of southeast operations in its new Tampa office. Edenfield has over 25 years of surety experience and worked as chief surety...

Jul 7 2008 // People McQueary Henry Bowles Troy LLP (MHBT) added Jim Anderson as senior vice president in the Dallas-based firm’s property/casualty group. Anderson will oversee the production and account management of...

IIAT Names Award Winners, Elects New Officers

Jul 7 2008 // Beginning Sept. 1, 2008, Garry Kaufman, president of Galveston Insurance Associates, Galveston, Texas, will lead the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT) as president. Kaufman was elected at IIAT’s 111th...

Find a Silver Lining in the Soft Market

Jul 7 2008 // Strategies From ‘Best Practices’ Agencies Searching for ways to survive and thrive in the soft market cycle? Cultivate untapped customer markets; proactively service renewals; use technology for efficiency and...

Business Moves

Jul 7 2008 // U.S. Risk Underwriters U.S. Risk Underwriters, a subsidiary of U.S. Risk Insurance Group, launched a new professional liability product for the medical tourism industry called MedTour Pro. Designed for medical tourism...

When is a Collapse a Collapse?

Jul 7 2008 // Navigating the Field of Conflicting Views Consider the following scenario: An earthquake, tornado, flood or similar natural catastrophe causes significant structural damage to an insured’s home. Although the building...

New Markets

Jul 7 2008 // The following markets were selected from the MyNewMarkets database of 25,000 coverages and programs. To find additional markets, or to submit markets, go to www.MyNewMarkets.com. International Energy Package Market Detail:...

Texas High Court Throws Out Jury Award for Girls’ Exorcism Injuries

Jul 3 2008 // The Texas Supreme Court threw out a jury award for injuries a 17-year-old girl suffered in an exorcism conducted by members of her old church, ruling that the case unconstitutionally entangled the court in religious...

Texas High Court Rules Contractor Not at Fault in Jail Death

Jul 3 2008 // The Texas Supreme Court has ruled that the descendents of a man who was found hanged with a telephone cord in a jail cell have no standing to recover damages from the contractor that supplied the telephone. In JCW...

Texas Workers’ Comp Discount, Interest Rate Set at 6.18%

Jun 30 2008 // The Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation has determined that any interest or discount provided for in the state’s Workers’ Compensation Act shall be at the rate of 6.18...

Texas Workers’ Comp Division Assesses More Than $81K in Penalties

Jun 27 2008 // Administrative penalties for April and May 2008 assessed by the Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC) totaled $81,667. The disciplinary actions taken by Commissioner of...

Farmers Expands Its Flexible Auto Package in Texas

Jun 27 2008 // Effective July 1, Farmers Texas County Mutual is adding two new packages to its Farmers Flex package of options that can reward drivers for being accident-free. Farmers Senior Vice President of Personal Auto Bill Martin...

IJ Contributor to Chair Texas State Bar Insurance Law Section

Jun 27 2008 // Brian Martin, a partner in the law firm of Thompson, Coe, Cousins & Irons LLP, was installed as the 10th Chairman of the Insurance Law Section of the State Bar of Texas. Martin is a frequent contributor to Insurance...

Watkins Insurance Named a ‘Best Place to Work’ in Central Texas

Jun 26 2008 // Watkins Insurance Group, a large, full-service, locally owned independent insurance agency in Austin, has been named one of the “Best Places to Work in 2008.” The company will be recognized during a banquet on...

Sunset Commission to Hear Input on Texas Department of Insurance Review

Jun 24 2008 // The Texas Sunset Advisory Commission is holding a public hearing June 24 and 25 to gather comments on the Sunset Commissioner Staff Report recommendations on the continuing governance of the Texas Department of Insurance...

Texas AG Settles With Companies Over ID Theft Charges; Cites Another

Jun 24 2008 // Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott reached an agreement with two Austin companies that resolves the state’s May 2007 enforcement action against EZMONEY L.P. and EZPAWN L.P. The affiliated companies were charged with...

Kaufman Elected President of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas

Jun 23 2008 // Garry Kaufman, president of Galveston Insurance Associates, Galveston, Texas, was elected president of the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas (IIAT) for 2008-2009 during the 111th Annual Conference & Trade Show....

Risk Control Results in Texas Home Builder Group’s First Dividend

Jun 23 2008 // Texas Mutual Insurance Company announced a $59,360 dividend to the Texas Home Builders (THB) workers’ compensation purchasing group. The group’s first dividend was based largely on its first-year premium volume...

AFS/IBEX Names New Marketing Managers for South Central Region

Jun 20 2008 // AFS/IBEX, which provides premium financing for the property and casualty insurance industry, announced new marketing managers for the South Central region. Linda Leos joined AFS/IBEX team in the company’s Dallas...

Nix Promoted to Vice President at Colemont – Texas

Jun 20 2008 // Colemont Insurance Brokers has promoted Hardy Nix to vice president in Colemont’s Texas office. Hardy specializes in hard-to-place casualty lines, specifically general liability and umbrellas for many classes,...